1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a pedal force adjusting apparatus for an accelerator pedal. More particularly, it relates to an apparatus for adjusting a pedal force of an accelerator pedal which can adjust the pedal force of the accelerator pedal through a simple operation of a user.
2. Description of Related Art
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a conventional accelerator pedal apparatus includes a pedal arm housing fixedly installed in a dash panel under a driver's seat, a pedal arm 2 having one end at which a pedal 2a is installed and an opposite end inserted into the pedal housing and installed within the pedal arm housing 1 to be rotated with respect to the pedal arm housing 1, a spring plate 3 which is coupled to an end of the pedal arm 2 located within the pedal arm housing 1, a friction shoe 4 coupled to an end of the pedal arm 2 located within the pedal arm housing 1 to frictionally interferes with the inner wall surface of the pedal arm housing 1 drum when the pedal arm 2 is rotated, and a resilient member 5 having one end supported by the spring plate 3 and an opposite end supported by an inner surface of the pedal arm housing 1 facing the spring plate 3. The resilient member 5 includes an inner spring 5a and an outer spring 5b. 
In the above-mentioned accelerator pedal apparatus, the pedal force is a force obtained by adding a reaction force of the friction shoe 4 which frictionally interferes with an inner wall surface of the pedal arm housing 1 when the pedal arm 2 is rotated about a hinge shaft 2b and a reaction force generated when the inner spring 5a and the outer spring 5b are resiliently compressed.
As a force applied to the pedal arm 2 by a driver becomes larger if a pedal force is large, the fatigue of the driver manipulating the accelerator pedal also increases. On the other hand, when a pedal force is small, a driver cannot sufficiently feel an accelerator pedal manipulating feeling. Consequently, the automotive manufacturers fabricate a accelerator pedal according to the pedal force characteristics of an accelerator pedal which are suitable for safety rules of each nation.
However, in the conventional accelerator pedal apparatus, in order to adjust the pedal effort, the friction shoe 4 and the resilient member 5 should all be changed to new ones. Therefore, the accelerator pedal apparatus cannot be used for common use.
An exemplar of an accelerator pedal is described in detail in Korean Patent No. 10-0724700.
The information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.